10 most expensive signings by Liverpool

5) Fernando Torres - €38m

Torres was one of the most lethal strikers during his time with Liverpool

Rafa Benítez brought Torres to Liverpool from Spanish club Atlético Madrid, in time for the latter to begin the 2007/08 season with his new employers. During his three-and-a-half year stint with the Reds, the Spaniard became one of the most feared strikers on the planet as he amassed goals at an unbeatable rate. He became the fastest to score 50 goals for Liverpool in the Premier League era, less than two years into his time at the club and taking just 84 games to achieve the feat.

Torres’s finishing prowess, pace and skill combined effectively with Steven Gerrard’s vision to create one of the most fruitful partnerships in front of goal. The Reds went close to winning the Premier League in 2008/09 but finished runners-up as ‘Nando’ struggled with injuries. The following season, the striker finished atop the goal charts for Liverpool again, as Benítez and his players tried to keep the off-field ownership and financial disputes from affecting performances on the pitch.

However, the departure of Benítez and the appointment of Roy Hodgson, along with Torres’s spate of injuries saw his Liverpool career being surrounded by uncertainty.

The player chose to move to Chelsea in January 2011 but couldn’t do an encore of his Reds career with the London club. Despite winning trophies, his time with the Blues was lacklustre; it was followed by a forgettable loan stint at AC Milan before he moved back to childhood club Atlético.